Lakeside soccer players prove impressive

Role models

If the season-opener for the Lakeside High School girls and boys soccer teams is any indication, we could be seeing some exciting players for a while to come.

On the road, the Lady Panthers scored 10 goals in their contest against Grovetown, with six of the goals notched by underclassmen.

Freshman Devin Haygood led the way, scoring three goals and had an assist in her first action at the varsity level. Freshman Logan Williams scored a goal and played goalie in the waning stages of the contest. Freshman Nettie Jester got her first high school goal while freshman Kallie Beckham and sophomore Colby Canada each found the net.

For the boys, freshman Phillip Tran scored on his first two shots of the game. If he has an almost built-in chemistry with the team, it’s understandable as he joins his brothers (junior) Ben and (senior) Matt on the pitch.

Meanwhile, in basketball: I haven’t seen him play yet, but I can’t wait for the season to start next year so I can check out Harlem’s Reggie Reid. The freshman averaged 19 points per game in the regular season, and in his first Region 3-AAA Tournament game put up 28 points in a losing cause to Burke County.

Role models

Since I started working here three weeks ago, I’ve covered no less than 10 high school athletes signing commitments to play at a college or university. It made me wonder if athletes are role models.

I’ll let Charles Barkley answer this one: No!

Just because athletes have the spotlight, it doesn’t necessarily mean we should emulate their behavior off the field or court and accept what they say as gospel.

But the issue isn’t so cut and dried.

I do think there is one area in which we really should look up to athletes. While some might have exceptional talent and ability, most have had to work hard to get to where they have gotten and worked even harder to stay there.

To some degree, it might be hardest to be an athlete at the high school level. Making it through the teen years is tough enough without having to make the grades and SAT scores to get to college, topped off by hours of practice. Once all that is done, getting noticed by a college can be another chore.

So kudos and congratulations to those high schoolers who have and will sign commitments, but also to those athletes who work hard and fly somewhat under the radar.